Stop Betraying Yourself
by Spirit Ella
Summary: Way before she could meet the Meribella Princess, way before she could finally say she KNEW him... well, they were almost strangers to each other. A Princess and the Popstar fanfic, set before the movie. More about Keira and her manager than anyone else.
1. The Girl

_A/N: It seems I'm back! Well... my laptop has been fixed, after all... this is another fanfiction about The Princess & the Popstar, and contains strong language. Yes, people, it does. After all, a 35 year-old man that doesn't swear would be rather odd, don't you think? Even though this is mostly about Keira and Crider, it's not specifically romance; just a multi-chapter fanfic telling EVERYTHING the movie didn't say, but in my own way._

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**1. The Girl**

He supposed he should've been grateful to Limburger for changing once again the person he would've been the manager of, though that retarded man a bit older than him and his brother wearing that ridiculous pig costume all the time had forgotten to give him back those 40 dollars he had made the mistake of giving them. 40 damn dollars that he would've never seen again.

_"Just brilliant"_ Crider thought, and kept walking, following Limburger until they reached a violet-painted trailer with a huge golden star above its door. He snorted "Can you please tell me which _freak_ I'll have to deal with this time?"

"Just keep your mouth shut, Crider" Limburger hissed. He had never liked him, he was just a plain failure and he should've been a little more respectful to him, after all he had given him a job. A very good job not many people were lucky enough to have... but it seemed like Crider didn't see the whole thing that way. Instead, he complained all the time, like a little boy who had lost his favorite toy.

Mr. Limburger knocked at the door, and a female voice came from inside. A young female voice Crider was convinced he had heard before quite a few times, though he couldn't remember why, where or when he did.

"Who's that?"

"It's Mr. Limburger, open this door" Crider's boss answered, and it wasn't long before that way too familiar voice was heard again

"Sorry, too busy to do it. Just tell me what's going on out there"

The boss of the girl's record company clenched his teeth to contain his anger. Limburger grabbed Crider by his arm with force, opened that door and pushed him inside the trailer without even telling him who that female was, then slammed the door behind him.

"Son of a bitch" Crider muttered, then lifted his gaze and noticed a purple haired girl and a pair of big violet-ish blue eyes looking at him with confusion. The girl rolled her eyes and let herself fall on her chair again in a very careless way, snorting.

Crider finally remembered who that was. The young, world-famous popstar Keira, a girl he had seen way too many times at the tv, for the most various reasons. He had to admit he had been quite jealous of her, being a star at 17 years old and having everything she ever dreamed of. He had been a star until he turned 14, and then his career had ended miserably just for a tiny mistake on a fucking note.

"So... you're my new manager, aren't you? Limburger had told me I would've changed it, and honestly, I'm okay with that. At least I won't have to deal with that hysterical woman anymore" the young girl said "You seem a lot better than her, though I need to ask..." she glanced skeptically at his clothes "...why do you dress this way?" she pointed at them, a hint of dislike in her voice

Crider looked down at his animal print jacket, his yellow tie, and all those other colorful things he was wearing that day, then looked up at Keira again "I like them" he said dryly, and analysed how the girl's expression changed every second that passed. Quite an unusual young female, he had to admit. He had never seen a person that young behaving like a grown-up woman.

Keira smirked; she didn't expect that man around 35 years old to say something like that. Well, at least his clothes were the only weird thing about him. She stood up again, now looking directly into his eyes "Seriously?"

"Everyone has his own sense of fashion, am I right?" Crider chuckled

The little popstar started to laugh "Yeah, I guess so" she calmed herself, taking a deep breath to start speaking again "Anyways, what's your name? I guess you already know mine... it's Keira"

"_Enchanté_, Keira" he playfully bowed to her, making her giggle amused. Looks like this time Limburger had chosen the right manager for a girl like her. "The name's Crider"

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_A/N: And this was chapter 1! Chapter 2 shall be up tomorrow!_

_Kisses to all who will review, fave or follow this story and quite a lot of curses to everyone who doesn't do any of those that I mentioned! Of course, I'm kidding, but please give me a chance... everyone deserves some, right?_

_Your Spirit Ella_


	2. Hysterical

_A/N: Well, this is chapter 2! Hope you'll enjoy it and... well, now things get more interesting! Also, so sorry for taking too long than expected for this!_

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**2. Hysterical**

"Nora, over here!" Keira ordered, and the young brunette woman with glasses rushed to the girl "I need you to change the whole scenery for tomorrow's concert in Gardania, I think blue doesn't fit with my dress for that show... add a little more of green and make some lights purple" Nora nodded and wrote everything in a notebook she was carrying "Also, where's Crider?" Keira asked

Nora looked around her, searching the tall brown haired man "I haven't seen him in a while, I must say. He must be busy"

"Damn" Keira hissed "I had things to tell him" the popstar went inside her trailer again with heavy steps. Why everytime she needed her manager he was nowhere to be found? After she closed the door behind her, she collapsed ungracefully on her bed , her face sinking in her soft white pillow; she was so tired she could've almost forgotten her own name. She needed quite a lot of sleep, too bad someone knocked at the door and she had to stand up again to go see who it was.

Another knock.

"I'm coming!" she yelled, exasperated, and when she opened the door in front of her there was her manager with a glare on his face "...what's that expression?"

"I heard you wanted to see me, you could've waited for me outside" he said

"Why? I'm so tired, Crider, come in" Keira let him inside her trailer and then closed the door, standing in front of it and looking at her manager

"So, what's going on now?" Crider looked up at her

"It's Limburger" when she pronounced that name, Crider rolled his eyes, though he let her continue "He wants me to finish the tour a week later"

Crider's eyes widened in shock "What did you say?" he carelessly sat on the girl's bed, not taking his eyes off of her because she _hated _being ignored

"He wants ME to finish this tour in two weeks instead of one because there are many other places where people want to see me!" Keira shouted "As if I wasn't too tired already! I'm about to faint on the stage, I can't even sleep some nights because of all those stupid interviews, and photos with the fans, and signing CDs and DVDs that make me waste all the time I could spend to get some rest..."

Crider, after two months of working with her, knew that she was dangerous when she started talking too much. She could become hysterical in no time, if he didn't say something to calm her down "Keira, please, stay-"

The young girl cut him off, not even caring about what he had to say, still blethering about all her problems. He knew that job for her was exhausting, but she had to get used to it. And since she trusted him, he would've had to be the one telling her that... with the appropriate words. He had to be careful.

"Crider, are you listening to me?"

"Uh... what?" he shook his head, coming out of his own thoughts about a solution to the situation. The teenager's expression changed drastically... now she was furious. With him.

"Why weren't you listening to me?" Keira asked, trying really hard to contain herself from shouting

"Hey, I was thinking about a way to cheer you up, nothing else..." Crider murmured, looking up at her and really hoping she would've calmed down

"Can you talk to him?" Keira asked, and Crider glared at her. She _knew_ Limburger would've never accepted to change his plans. A tear formed in Keira's left eye "Please?"

No, Crider couldn't make her cry. He wasn't that despicable to make her cry, he would've felt too bad. So he sighed, stood up again, and took a deep breath

"Okay, I will"

Keira's pouty lips turned up again and a hopeful smile brightened her face. She just wished that would've worked.

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"No, no, no and NO AGAIN! Tell that spoiled child I refuse to change back the entire project!" Limburger shouted, furious as he had never been

Crider stormed out of Limburger's office slamming the door behind him, anger cursing through his veins "Go fuck yourself...!"

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_Second chapter is done, wheeee! Don't you wonder how things will resolve? Stay tuned, y'all!_

_Your Spirit Ella_


	3. Failed Attempt

_A/N: Soooo... I guess this is called Chapter 3! The story's slowly developing, isn't it? This will be quite an important chapter, so get ready for some little and nice surprises!_

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**3. Failed Attempt**

_"What will I tell her now?"_ Crider asked himself. He was sure Keira wouldn't have taken the news so well. After all, he understood her. No one of that age could bear for too long the extreme pressure a career like that one caused. He needed to do something to change the situation, make the girl smile again... but how?

"If I don't find a solution, that fat asshole would be able to fire me just because I didn't take enough care of that girl!" Crider said through gritted teeth. His boss was one of the worst people he had ever met, without a doubt... and that would've been a compliment. If he didn't make Keira feel better, Limburger could've put an end to her whole shiny career, and Crider had noticed how much that job meant to her. He couldn't let that man get away with it.

Not to mention he himself was in the middle of that whole mess too. Because he was never safe when something happened in that damn place called "space behind the stage" or whatever its real name was.

He took a deep breath and knocked at the girl's door, words and sentences twirling in his mind, anything he could try to use to explain her the situation... and he couldn't choose only one. Or maybe, he couldn't even choose all those, because words were useless with an angry female. His past two girlfriends, that he had had respectively at 19 and 27 years old and that were named Monica and Esther, had made him learn that lesson. Never, EVER try to calm a woman.

_"What was that sentence again? 'Hell is nothing compared to a woman's fury'?" _he thought _"Quite useful, it saved my ass I don't know how many times already"_

"Is that you, Crider?" Keira's voice came from inside the trailer "Hold on a sec, gettin' dressed! ...this costume couldn't even let me breathe!"

**CRASH!**

Crider jumped. What was happening inside that trailer? He was starting to worry...

"Ow..." he heard her saying, and he brusquely opened the door to find that teenager lying on the floor with her short violet dress with the light blue belt not fully on, her violet strapless bra showing under the violet strands of her wig.

"Fuck." he said through gritted teeth.

She had her eyes widened while looking up at the man, sign that she did not expect to be found in that state by him. Half dressed and half in her undergarments.

_"Nice one, Keira...!"_ she told herself, quite embarassed for the whole situation she had gotten herself into. She quickly stood up and turned away from him, finishing to dress up.

Behind her, Crider was just standing still and waiting for her to feel less awkward. He seriously had never thought being a manager also meant finding himself into situations of that kind.

"Forgive me, Keira" he murmured

The girl turned to him again, finally fully dressed "You don't need to be forgiven, you were just worried for me. I admire that, you know? I never imagined Limburger would've given me a manager that actually cares about me" she paused for a while, then remembered what she had asked him ten minutes before "Neverthless... what did he say?"

"Just guess, child" Crider replied, calling her with a nickname for the first time ever

"He said no, didn't he?" the teenager asked, a hint of sadness in her voice "I knew that. Now what do I do? I'm tired as hell of this world tour!" she started crying, burying her face in her hands and sobbing loudly

Crider felt guilty. He couldn't bear seeing her like that. He went closer to her and spoke in a calm, reassuring voice even though he wanted to take a knife and go murder his boss because, as far as I knew, he was that cruel with everyone. He also wondered how Keira's parents comforted their daughter when she was sad.

"Now, don't cry... I know you'll find out how to be fine even in this situation..." Keira looked at him and felt the sudden urge to embrace that man so tight because that behaviour of his reminded her so much of her father. Though, even if she didn't even remember her parents' voices anymore because they had died when she was 6, she had still in her mind how sweet they had been with her in the very few years she had spent with them.

Crider was trying to stand still even with Keira almost choking him. She was obviously desperate. Then, after a few minutes, she broke the embrace; her tears had disappeared from her eyes and she had finally a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Okay, I'll face this endless world tour and I'll come out alive from it!" Keira exclaimed "There will be worse things than this one in the near future, surely"

"You bet there will be, with a record company like the one you have...!" Crider rolled his eyes, then noticed Keira was staring at his gold bracelet "You like it?"

"Uh, it's not the kind of bracelet I would wear, though... why is there an S on it?"

Crider swallowed. He had never noticed that!

"Is that the first letter of a name?" Keira asked "You're engaged?"

"Not at all! I have no rings, if you have noticed...!" Crider tried to end the discussion before she could discover the truth

"Then why is there an S on this bracelet? Your name starts with C!"

"Actually... it doesn't." the man gave up

"Okay..." Keira chuckled "So you've lied to me when you said your name was Crider?"

"Kinda... Crider is my second name because my parents liked weird names, but my first name is... well, it's Seymour."

"Seymour?" Keira couldn't believe that "...seriously?"

"I guess now you know one of the things that annoys me the most" Crider snorted

"Being called with your real name?"

"I hate that. I find Seymour a stupid name, it doesn't fit with my personality at all...!" he confessed, laughing

"If it makes you feel better, I really like both names you have" Keira winked "Though Seymour seems sweet!"

"You're one of the very few that knows it, feel honored" he said "And keep it for yourself"

"I will... Seymour"

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_Done, finally! Wheeee! Four more chapters to go, y'all! And I hope you have liked this one!_

_Your Spirit Ella_


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